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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385827">Solidarity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifSarah_yes_elseNO/pseuds/ifSarah_yes_elseNO'>ifSarah_yes_elseNO</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fun Times on Filigree Street [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Lost Future of Pepperharrow - Natasha Pulley, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Humor, M/M, but without all the angst and bad emotional stuff, imagine the events of pepperharrow, mlm and wlw solidarity, so its just mori and thaniel enjoying themselves and loving each other, very minor pepper/countess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:48:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385827</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifSarah_yes_elseNO/pseuds/ifSarah_yes_elseNO</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In an attempt to befriend Thaniel, Pepper shows him old newspapers.</p>
<p>Thaniel finds out Mori was the “famous wealthy bachelor the society pages loved to gossip about.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keita Mori/Thaniel Steepleton, Takiko Pepperharrow/Midori Kuroda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fun Times on Filigree Street [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Solidarity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thaniel wasn’t trying to snoop around, honest. Yoruji was very large, with expansive rooms and gardens and so many places one could get lost in just trying to find their way back to their room. It was nearing 9 p.m. and usually Six would come back after doing Six shenanigans, but Thaniel hadn’t seen her in the past few hours. She was meant to be asleep by 8, and she was very punctual with time and all. Both of their internal clocks were still trying to get used to the Japanese time zone after being here for a good few days.</p>
<p>“Ah, Nathaniel,” it was Mrs. Pepperharrow. Thaniel found her in one of the rooms that overlooked the neat garden. “Your daughter is quite put out.”</p>
<p>Thaniel stepped in the room and quietly slid the panel behind him. Six laid her head in Mrs. Pepperharrow’s lap, a calm and peaceful expression on her face. She was still wearing the bright, flower-patterned kimono she wore at dinner. Pepper was softly patting her hair. She looked at Thaniel with a small smile and held up her index finger to her mouth, the universal sign for being quiet when a child is sleeping.</p>
<p>Six usually gets annoyed when adults touch her on the head like she was some kind of baby. Thaniel felt a quick pang of jealousy at how easily Pepper became close with her. Ever since they had arrived at Yoruji, Thaniel experienced this tiny pull in his chest whenever Pepper was mentioned or near. “The Baroness…” this or “The Baroness…” that. She had been nothing but kind to him and so he felt all the more guilty.</p>
<p>Thaniel picked up Six, her head a familiar and comforting weight against his shoulder. There’s nothing this child wouldn’t sleep through.</p>
<p>“Thank you for watching her.” he bowed sheepishly.</p>
<p>“Oh, not at all. She spent her hours after dinner playing with Hotaru-chan in the gardens. It’s amusing and kind of terrifying the games she made up with that boy.”</p>
<p>Thaniel chuckled politely. “Yes, well, she’s like that with the neighborhood boys at home too.”</p>
<p>“No wonder. The gardener’s boy’s only friend around his age and it's a wild English child.” Pepper laughed to herself.</p>
<p>“Anyway, thank you again, Mrs. Pepperharrow, we should be getting back now. Oyasuminasai.” Thaniel turned to leave the room and was about to slide the door open when Pepper stood up.</p>
<p>“Wait, Nathaniel-”</p>
<p>Thaniel stopped and looked down to Pepper, a woman pushing five feet to a man passing six.</p>
<p>“I’d like to show you something, after you put Six-chan to bed. If you don’t mind?”</p>
<p>Thaniel was curious, but he didn’t really like the idea of being alone with Pepper for more than a few minutes. He was trying to keep the jealousy and guilt to an absolute minimum. For Mori’s sake.</p>
<p>“It’s about Joy. There’s a small storage room around the staircase. Meet me there.”</p>
<p>Thaniel pondered this for a few minutes, wondering if he can make an excuse up. He leaned his cheek against Six’s hair.</p>
<p>“Alright," he said at last.</p>
<p><br/>_____</p>
<p>Thaniel found his way to the staircase after tucking Six in her futon. He had noticed Mori wasn’t around, still probably out with Kuroda and some of the other noblemen. Kuroda had proclaimed after dinner that he and Mori were going out into town, for old times’ sake, which probably suggested a crawl around Yokohama’s pubs. Mori was in protest of this, but the Count was loud and insistent and had already gathered the favor of the other noblemen.</p>
<p>The house was quiet at this time, and Suzuki’s warning about the nightingale floor was at the back of Thaniel’s mind. But Thaniel was able to go on his way without making much noise. There were certain spots on the floor that didn’t make large white spots in the corner of his vision.</p>
<p>He assumed the door to the small storage room was the one that was ajar and had a dim light pouring through. He wouldn’t have noticed it otherwise. Thaniel opened the door wider. It was dusty and the air was stale. There was a single, little window on the farthest wall that was shut and boxes everywhere. As meticulously clean as the house had been kept since Thaniel got there, storage rooms were obviously not high on the list of things to clean.</p>
<p>“Mrs. Pepperharrow?”</p>
<p>“I’m over here!” She was knelt in the corner of the room, behind some boxes. Thaniel felt like he took up the entire space when realizing her size. “Close the door, this is just between us. And Joy.”</p>
<p>Thaniel did so, and he was left alone with the Baroness and a small lamp. “What did you want to show me?” He knelt down beside her, still feeling overwhelmingly large.</p>
<p>“Hold on, I just have to find it…” She rummaged through a box filled with old newspapers. Thaniel glanced around to the other boxes, which were closed and lined up against the wall. They weren't labeled, so he wondered what things this storage room stored, the memories kept within Yoruji. His attention was brought back to Pepper when she let out a little noise of triumph.</p>
<p>“Here read this.” She grinned and handed Thaniel a newspaper.</p>
<p>Thaniel smoothed out the crinkles, dust getting everywhere, but his eyes widened at reading the front page.</p>
<p>Two photos of Mori were printed on it, where he looked about 15 years younger than he is now in both of them. He wore a Western suit in the first one, his body positioned a quarter away from the camera. He was looking up, towards what looked like cherry blossom trees. He was smiling in it and Thaniel swore his heart swooned a little. In the second photo, Mori stood between a younger Pepper and Kuroda, and he wore a yukata with a forest-like pattern. It matched his name. He was also smiling in this one.</p>
<p>Thaniel read the Japanese newspaper outloud.</p>
<p>“Up and coming, famous wealthy bachelor, Baron Mori Keita, was seen at the cherry blossom viewing this week, donning a handsome Western suit, making the already handsome man even more alluring.” Thaniel couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.</p>
<p>“Go on, keep reading.” Pepper said. She went back to the box full of newspapers, her face showing that she knew that there were more articles about Mori that Thaniel would simply enjoy reading.</p>
<p>“The Baron later changed into a casual and comfortable yukata and enjoyed his time at the Spring festival with Count Kuroda Kiyotaka and Takiko Pepperharrow, who’s a stagehand at Shintomi Theatre. How handsome he looks! He’s the talk between all the ladies, noble and low. But perhaps the title of most eligible bachelor in all of Japan will only last for a few more days?”</p>
<p>Thaniel covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to stifle the noise. He shouldn’t be laughing so hard, but the way this article was written framed Mori as some pretty-boy celebrity. It was all gossip and just fawning over things like how “The Baron’s cheekbones look most exquisite!”</p>
<p>“Pepp-, ahah, Pepper, are there more of these?” Thaniel was enjoying himself.</p>
<p>She paused. “You called me Pepper.”</p>
<p>Thaniel calmed down his laughing a bit. “Hm, what?”</p>
<p>“I said, you called me Pepper. You’ve been calling me ‘Mrs. Pepperharrow’ ever since you arrived at Yoruji like I’m some old nanny.”</p>
<p>Thaniel had stopped laughing. He stared at Pepper, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. “Pepper,” he tried her nickname on his tongue, seriously now. “Why are you showing these to me?”</p>
<p>“Because you’re so stiff around me. I know I’m married to Keita and I’m technically ‘The Baroness’, but I don’t want you to be so wary of me.” She looked back to the box in front of her. She pulled out another newspaper and handed it to Thaniel.</p>
<p>On the front page was Kuroda standing between Mori and a pretty woman. The woman was dressed in a kimono with her hair done up in a simple bun that had a flower hair stick stuck through it. She was a few inches taller than Mori. Mori had a tiny smile on his face as well as Kuroda, but the woman looked the happiest. It was like the photographer caught her mid-laugh. It suited her. The article was just about them going to see a play at Shintomi Theatre. Pepper pointed her finger at the woman.</p>
<p>“This was Countess Kuroda. But to me, she was just Midori.” She said that sadly, her tone filled with missed memories and longing. “I see what you and Keita have and I… I can’t help but remember <em>my</em> Midori.”</p>
<p>Whatever jealousy and guilt Thaniel attached to Pepper was gone in an instant. That weight inside his chest was replaced by a light feeling. The type of feeling one experiences when they find another person just like them. Another person who <em>loves</em> like them. It made Thaniel feel absolutely ridiculous that he carried such insignificant feelings towards Pepper when in reality he really wasn’t even being threatened in the first place.</p>
<p>Thaniel had heard that the Countess had died years ago and now he can’t help but wonder what if he lost Mori? He wouldn’t know what to do with himself. “I’m sorry…”</p>
<p>Both Pepper and Thaniel could feel the mood had turned sullen. Pepper refused to let that happen. She put a small grin on her face, but her eyes were still sad. “It’s the past. Better to move on. It’s okay, Nathaniel.”</p>
<p>“Call me Thaniel please.” Maybe they can be more friendly with each other this time around. “My dad was Nat.”</p>
<p>Pepper smiled wide. A bit of her sad look was chipped away.</p>
<p>“Well, Thaniel, you would LOVE to see this one.” She pulled a newspaper out of the box in an overexaggerated fashion, proud of herself that she’s kept that one after all these years. It looked the oldest, the pages yellow and fading.</p>
<p>Thaniel laughed loudly at the newspaper she gave him. “Is this Kei as a teenager!?” He flipped through it and skimmed the article. It was about how Mori went missing for a few months and just suddenly turned up. His reason, quoted, was “I had to help a friend in China. Some Englishmen learn languages as well as a sea cucumber.”</p>
<p>“Why did you keep all of these?” Thaniel asked.</p>
<p>“Because Joy hated the fact that he was the center of the society pages, but they were the only source of good photographs. Look, this one even gets his good angle.”</p>
<p>Thaniel had to agree, Mori’s attractiveness was a constant throughout all the photographs. He felt like he was prying in a book about Mori’s life, but he just couldn’t help himself. Mori never really talks about his life in Japan when Thaniel asks. And when he does, it’s fleeting and doesn’t give much detail. Thaniel’s always wondered what pre-London Mori was like, and reading these old dusty newspapers filled Thaniel with, well, it filled him with joy. (Pun a little intended.)</p>
<p>He held up the first newspaper Pepper had given him. “Mind if I take this one with me? I promise to give it the utmost care.” His fingers gently smoothed the page around the photographs, his eyes holding a soft look at seeing a Mori his age. Mori’s gotten so used to Western clothing that he complains about the troubles of getting into a kimono. Nevermind a photo of him in one.</p>
<p>“Of course! Anything for a friend.”</p>
<p>In those small moments, Thaniel and Pepper had formed a sort of unspoken solidarity.</p>
<p><br/>_____</p>
<p>Mori had come back to his room while Thaniel was gone. He was in his futon when Thaniel came in. It was at Mori’s behest that they shared a room, Suzuki being strongly against it. He was laying down but looked up at the sound of the sliding door.</p>
<p>“Oh, did I wake you?” Thaniel whispered.</p>
<p>Mori waved his hand. “No, no. I just got into bed.”</p>
<p>“How was Kuroda?”</p>
<p>Mori groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Rambunctious as ever. He kept trying to get me drunk. It’s bad for everyone if I get drunk. I’ll just start spewing prophecies at random people.”</p>
<p>Thaniel got into his own futon, which was side by side with Mori’s. They held each other’s gaze.</p>
<p>“And how are you?” Mori asked in a hushed tone that felt far too intimate and yet very lovely. There was a blush apparent on his face. It seemed he did drink a little.</p>
<p>“I was with Pepper.” Thaniel said. Mori raised an eyebrow at this, noticing that Thaniel was using his nickname for her. Thaniel wanted to tell him about the newspapers.</p>
<p>Mori sat up a bit. “Newspapers?”</p>
<p>Thaniel nodded and held up the old pages. He read the article in a fake-pretentious way, but quietly so as not to wake Six who was sleeping by the window with the steaming pools.</p>
<p>“‘The most eligible bachelor in all of Japan…’”</p>
<p>The alarm in Mori was immediate. “Hey! Where’d you get that?!” Mori leaned over and tried to grab the paper from Thaniel. But Thaniel, who was a whole foot taller than him, held it an arm’s length away from Mori so that he could continue teasing him about it.</p>
<p>“‘The Baron’s cheekbones are looking most exquisite today! Oh, and how his deep black eyes make a lady wonder what the mysterious man is thinking about-’”</p>
<p>“This is low, even for you.” Mori cursed.</p>
<p>Mori was on Thaniel’s futon now. Amidst all the teasing, Mori had grabbed one of Thaniel’s thigh to give him more leverage to grab the newspaper. Mori kept leaning sideways. Thaniel stopped reading the paper. He turned his head and his face was met with Mori’s. They were nose to nose. Still and silent, in that moment. Thaniel let a smile creep to his face, his thoughts mischievous. Suddenly, he put the paper down and grabbed Mori’s waist with his free arm, flipping him over so that Mori was under him, their faces still a breath away. Mori sneaked a glance to Thaniel’s lips.</p>
<p>Thaniel caressed the side of Mori’s face with his thumb. It was a slow, back and forth motion. Mori’s eyelashes were close enough to count. Thaniel brought his thumb to the corner of Mori’s eye and stroked the slight wrinkles as though he could smooth it out. One of his legs was planted between Mori’s. Thaniel recognized his signature lemony scent. It was strong, at this distance. “They called you ‘pretty boy’.”</p>
<p>“Oh shut up.” Mori wrapped his arms around Thaniel’s neck and kissed him. Thaniel kissed back, lovingly, achingly--the whole world in Thaniel’s hands and an entire lifetime in Mori’s arms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Six: Dad, why are you wrestling Mr. Mori?</p>
<p>oyasuminasai - goodnight</p></blockquote></div></div>
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